Lifting device



Nov. 10, 1953 Filed April 24 1950 H. K. HECKER LIFTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l [MENTOR Harvard Hex/ r Nov. 10, 1953 H. K. HECKER 2,658,586

LIFTING DEVICE Filed April 24 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 JNVENTOR Harya M/ Heckler- BY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1953 Harvard K. Hecker, Universitm Gity, Mo assignor. to Curtis. Mfg. Qompany, St, Louis, Mo, encore porationof Missouri Application April 24', 1950'; S erialN o. 157-5704 '7 Claims.

This invention relates to, improvements. in lifting devices.

are normally concealed below; the floors of builde ingsor structures.

It is therefore an object of; the present inventiorr toprovide an improved lifting device which can normally be concealed below the; floorofv a. buildin or structure.

It-is frequently desirable to provide lifting de-.- vices that can be concealed below thefloors of. the-buildings or. structures in which those, devicesare; to. be operated. Such lifting. devices, can be concealed in pits below thefloors untilv such time as; they are needed: to lift. objects, and; then. those devices can be; actuated to. move upwardly above thelevel' oi the floors. When the lifting devices have performed their intended: functions, they can again be. returned. to. their positions. in the pits below the level of the floors. Where this, is done, it, is possible forv personnel tomove about.

freely on the floors of thebuildings. or structures,

withoutany fear of tripping over the, lifting de:. vices. The pits for the lifting devices. are custom.- arily covered by movable doors which must be opened and closed whenever the lifting. devices. moveupwardly or downwardly into or out of the. pits. Where they are. properly designed. and constructed, the movable doors work quite well. However, if not properly designed and. construct: ed: the. movable doors can jam and cause diflie culty, and in any event, the. movable doors and their actuating mechanisms increase the cost oi the: lifting devices. The present invention obviates the cost of movable doors. and: the actuating equipment therefore, and yet fully. protects. personnel. against any danger of falling intov the pit for the lifting device by providing. a. number or supporting pads that are. spaced apart from each other and. from cover plates to. permit passage of the. lifting devicev therebetween, but that are spaced. sufiicientlya close together: and to the cover plates, to keep amans foot from entering: the pit. The spaced supporting pads and cover plates thus provide the protection usually afforded by the movable. doors, and yet they: avoid the cost of such doors and: the. actuating equipment. therefor. rt; is therefore an object of the present invention to provide. supporting pads and cover plates which are. spaced apart, sufflcientlst to, permit the passage ofthe. lifting device therebetween but which are sufficiently close together to keep. a mans foot from entering the pit.

The supporting pads and cover plates provide- More particularly, this-invention. relates-to improvements in lifting. devices which.

a. number of spaced openings between them, and; thoseopenings are. complementary. to the shape.

of.thesuperstructureofi the lifting device. That superstructure hasspaced solid portions that fit.

neatly within theopeningsbetween the pads and coverplateaan'd: it hasspaced open portions that telescope neatly over the spaced pads; It is therefore an object of the present invention. to

providesupporting padsand cover plates that form openings complementaryto the superstructure: of a liftingdevic'e, and to provide av superstructure; that; has spaced solid portions. neatly fitting the. openings. between the spaced pads and. cover; plates. and; has spaced open portions neatly telescoping Over those pads.

Made. in. this; way, the superstructure of the present invention can provide a large supporting area to; engage. the. object to be lifted, and. yet that superstructure can be light in weight. Such a. superstructurecan v easily accommodate vehicles with chass s of difierent designs.

Other and; fiurther objects and advantages of the present; invention. should become apparent from an, examination. of the drawing and accompanying. description.

In the. drawing and: accompanying description two; preferred: embodiments of the present" iii-- vention are shown and: described but it is to be understood thatthel drawing and accompanying description. are; for the purpose of. illustration only and: do. not limit the invention and that. the invention: will be defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1; is a plan view of one form of? cover plate, supporting pad, and superstructure. provided by the present invention,

Eig. 2' is. a. side elevation view of the superstructure. shown in Fig. 1,

Eig. Zi'isa cross-sectional side view of the cover plate and supporting pads atthe right hand end ofsFig; 1',

Fig. 4- is a. cross-sectional side viewoi the cover plate, and supporting pads at the left hand end on 1-, and it also. shows the. left handend of the superstructure of Fig. 1,

Fig; 51 is; a plan View of another form or cover plate, supporting pad; and superstructure provided by the. present invention, and

Fig. 6 is. a cross sectional: side view of the left hand cover plate, and supporting pads of Fig; 5, and it shows the. left hand end of the super structure of Fig. 5-. i

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral l0 denotes transversely-extending angles which will be intimately secured to the concrete or other material that is used in forming the pit and the floor of the building or structure in which the lifting device is to be operated. The numeral I2 generally denotes longitudinally-extending angles, and these angles are welded or otherwise secured to the angles I to form a frame around the pit. The angles I0 are longer than the angles I 2, but they are denominated as transversely-extending angles because they extend transversely of the axis of the vehicle to be supported by the lifting device.

The vertically-directed portions of the angles I0 and I2 will extend downwardly within the pit formed in the floor of the building or structure, and they can serve as guides to the cement finisher who smoothes the surface of the pit. The cement can be brought up to the lower edges of the vertically-directed portions of the angles II) and I2; thus providing an even, unbroken surface around the interior of the pit. Similarly, the horizontally-directed portions of the angles II) and I2 can serve as guides to the cement finisher who smoothes the floor of the building or structure. The cement can be brought up to the edges of the horizontally-extending portions, thus providing an even, unbroken surface for the floor.

The numeral I4 denotes cover plates which are disposed at the opposite ends of the pit. The cover plates I4 are identical, but one is rotated one hundred and eighty (180) degrees relative to the other about a vertical axis. One cover plate I4 overlies the left hand end of the pit while the other cover plate overlies the right hand end of the pit. Each of the cover plates I4 has a rectangular opening I6 adjacent the outer end thereof, and each cover plate has a slot I8 which is contiguous with the rectangular opening I6. The slots I8 extend from the openings I6 to the inner edges of the plates I4, and the slots I8 are at the longitudinal centers of the cover plates I4.

Each of the cover plates I4 is underlain by a sturdy frame 20; the frames 20 consisting of two transversely-extending side plates, a longitudinally-extending spacer which extends between and connects the outer ends of the side plates, and two longitudinally-extending ribs that are adjacent the inner ends of the side plates and that have their confronting faces spaced apart. The side plates are preferably secured to the spacers and the ribs by welding; the resulting welded structure being strong. The frames 20 are preferably secured to the cover plates I4 by welding. The frames 26 are secured to the under surfaces of the cover plates I4 adjacent the openings I6 in those cover plates; the confronting faces of the ribs of the frames 20 being adjacent the edges of slots I6. The side walls of the frames 20 have slots 22, 24 and 26 formed in them, and those slots open to the upper faces of those side plates. The slots 22, 24 and 26 extend vertically downwardly into the side plates of the frames 20; the slots 22 being the deepest, the slots 24 being of intermediate depth, and the slots 26 being the shallowest.

A large pad 28 is welded or otherwise secured to the side walls of the frames 20, and pads 30 and 32 of lesser size are welded or otherwise secured to the side walls of the frames 20. With such an arrangement, the frames 20 are secured to the cover plates I4 and hold the pads 28, 30 and 32 in precisely spaced relation relative to each other and relative to the cover plates I4. The pads and cover plates are dimensioned to provide a narrow opening all around the outer edges of each pad 4 and also to form an opening between that edge of pad 28 which confronts the two pads 36 and 32; the pads 30 and 32 forming a relatively wide opening between their confronting edges. The various openings will preferably range from one and oneeighth (1%) to one and three-quarters (1%) inches in width; such openings being small enough to keep a mans foot from passing through.

Legs 34, preferably of L-shape and preferably formed of angles, are secured to the under surface of each cover plate I4; two legs 34 being secured to each cover plate I4. The legs 34 have horizontally-disposed portions which underlie the inner ends of plates I4; those portions terminating adjacent the slots I8. The legs 34 have vertically-directed portions which extend downwardly from the cover plates I4 and rest on the bottom of the pit. These legs support the inner ends of the cover plates I4; the outer ends of those cover plates being supported by the angles I2 of the frame, as by overlying and being bolted to the angles I2. The support of the cover plates I4 is so firm and steady that automotive vehicles can be driven onto those cover plates.

Tabs 36 are secured to the under surfaces of the cover plates I4, and they extend inwardly beyond the inner edges of those plates. These tabs underlie and support the inner ends of movable doors 40 which are pivotally secured at their outer ends to the angles III by hinges 38. These doors are free to move upwardly away from the tabs 36 as the lifting device moves upwardly, and they will be held firmly against movement below the horizontal by the tabs 36. The cover plates I4 and the pads 28, 30 and 32 thus define a plane in which doors 46 normally lie. When the lifting device is down in the pit, the doors 40 coact with the cover plates I4 and the pads 28, 30 and 32 to provide a support strong enough to hold an automotive vehicle. When the lifting device moves upwardly, the doors 46 will open and lean against that device; returning to closed position, under the action of gravity, when the lifting device reenters the pit.

The lifting device will usually include a hydraulic piston and the piston will usually carry a disc 44 at the top thereof. The disc 44 has a number of openings therethrough to receive bolts that can seat in the top of the piston. A supporting bar or yoke 42 is welded or otherwise secured to the top of the disc 44, and reinforcing plates 46 of generally triangular shape extend between the surface of disc 44 and the sides of the bar 42. Welding the supporting bar 42, the disc 44, and the reinforcing plates 46 together forms a strong, rigid support.

A longitudinally-extending plate 50 is secured to each end of the bar 42; those ends of bar 42 extending upwardly in a gentle curve. The plates 50 will preferably be secured to the bar 42 by welding. Transversely-extending plates 54 are secured to the opposite ends of the longitudinallyextending plates 50, and the outer ends of the plates 54 are connected together by longitudinally-extending plates 48. Longitudinal-extending plates 52 connect the inner ends of the transversely-extending plates 54 together. Reinforcing plates 53 extend between and are welded to the bar 42 and the plates 52.

The plates 48, 50, 52, 53 and 54 form reticules which are complementary to the interconnected openings between cover plates I4 and pads 28, and 32 and between the pads 28, 30 and 32. As a result those reticules will pass neatly through those interconnected openings. The bar 42 will pass aeratedthrough slots l8. The plates; 5,0.v 52, 532,216,154: and the bar 42 are soi-dimensioned relative to the openings I6, slots It, and pads 2-8,.30and 32. that a clearance of from one-quarter /4); to three. eighths of an inch is maintained between the stationary and movable parts ofthe lifting device.

As the superstructure of the lifting device moves upwardly, the bar 42 will engage the inner ends of the doors 40 and cause those doors to rotate around hinges 38. Those doors will then beheld open by engagement with thesides of. the piston, as by resting against the sides of that, piston. When the superstructure moves downwardly the doors lii will automatically close under the action of gravity when the superstructure moves out ofv engagement with them. With the exception of the doors 4!], there are no moving. parts in the covering for the pit. This provides full and adequate. protection at low cost and with no risk of jamming of the operating mechanism.

In Figs. 5 and'dthe numeral I I9 denotes transversely-extending angles which. will be intimately secured to the concrete or other material. that is used in forming the pit and the floor of the building. or structure in which the lifting device is to be operated. The numeral H2. generally denotes longitudinally-extending angles, and these angles are welded or otherwise secured to.

the angles Ill! to. form a frame around. the pit.

The angles lit are longer than the angles H2, but they are denominated as transversely-extending angles because they extend transversely of the axis of the vehicle to be supported bythe lifting device.

The vertically-directed portions. of the angles HS and H2 will extend downwardly within the pit formed in the. floor of the building or structure, and they can. serve as guides. to the. cement finisher who smoothes the surface of the pit. The cement can be brought up. to. the lower edges of the vertically-directed portions of the angles H0 and H2, thus, providing an. even, unbroken surface around the interior of the pit. similarly,

the horizontally-directed portions of the angles.

I Ill and I I2 can serve as guides to the. cement finisher who smoothes the. floor of thev building, or structure. The cement can be. brought. up to the edges of the horizontally-extending portions,

thus providing an even, unbroken surface for;

The numeral IM denotes. cover plates. which.

are disposed atthe opposite ends. of the pit. Thecover plates H4 are identical, but. one. is rotated one hundred and eighty (180-) degrees relative to the other about a vertical axis. One cover plate II l overlies the left hand endv of the pit while the other cover plate overlies. the right. hand end of the pit. Each of the. cover plates El i has a rectangular opening IIE. adjacent the outer end thereof, and each cover plate has a slot M8 which is contiguous with the; rectanglelar opening H5. The slots Ila extend from theopenings lit to the inner edges. of the plates its, and the slots H8. are at the longitudinal centers of the cover plates. II 4..

Each of the cover plates. H4, is underlain by a sturdy frame we; the frames. 1.2!}. consisting of two transversely-extending. side. plates, and a longitudinally-extending spacer which extends. be. tween and connects the outer ends. of the. side.

plates. In the embodiment shown, the side plates and the spacer are all part. of the same piece;

H lby' welding; and. they are, adjacent the openings- I I6 ine those cover plates. The-v side walls;

of: the frames. I20: have slots [:22; I24 and. I25:

; tothe side walls of the: frames I28. With such. anarrangement, the frames I20. aresecured. to

the. cover. plates I. and" hold the pads I28 inprecisely spaced relation relative to each other and relative: to the coverplates 4-; The pads and cover plates are dimensioned to provide a narrow opening all around. the outer edges of eachpad.

Legs L34, preferablyof L.-shape and preferably formed of, angles, are secured totheunder surface ofeach cover plate I I 4; two legs. I 34 being: secured to each, cover plate H4. The legs I 34' have. horizontally-disposed portions which underlie theinner ends of. plates IM; those-portions terminating. adjacent. the slots H8. The legs I34: have, vertically-directedportions which extend downwardly from the cover plates I Hi and rest on the bottom. of the pit. These legs support the inner ends of the cover plates N4; the outer ends of those cover plates being supported by the angles LIZ ofv the frame, as by: overlying and being bolted. to. theangles 2. The; support of the cover plates I-I-dissofirm. and steady that automotive vehiclescan be driven onto those cover plates. The legs [34 also underlie and support the inner ends of movable doors HI) which are pivotally secured. at their outer ends tothe angles Ill] by hinges I38. These doors are free to move upwardly away from the legs i34- as. the lifting device moves upwardly and, they will be held firmly against movement below thehorizontal by the legs I34. The cover plates I14. and the pads I28 thus define a plane in which doors Ml) normally lie. When the lifting device is down in the pit, the doors. I48. coact with the cover plates. Hi4 and pads [28 to provide a support strong enough. to. hold an automotive vehicle. When the liftingv device. moves upwardly, the. doors I411 will open and lean against that device; returning to. closed position, under the action of, gravity, when. the. lifting device reenters the. pit.

The lifting device will usually include 'a hydraulic piston and the piston will. usually carry a disc I44. at the top thereof... The disc HM has. a number of openings therethrough to receive bolts that can seat in the. top of? the piston. A supporting bar or yoke. I42 is welded or otherwise secured to the topof the disc I44, and reinforcing plates I46. of generally triangular shape extend between the surface of the. disc I'M. and. the sides of the bar M2... Welding the supporting bar I42, the disc I'M. and the reinforcing plates I46 together forms a strong, rigid support.

A longitudinallwextending plate I551 is secured to each end of the bar I42; those ends of bar I42 extending vertically upward. The plates I50 will have slots in, their lower center portions that. can telescope over these ends of bar I42. Plates I50 are preferably secured to the bar M2 by welding. Transversely-extending plates 1,515 are secured to. the opposite ends of the longitudinallyv extending plates [5d, and, the outer ends of the. plates. I54. are connected. together by longitudinally-extendi-ng. plates. M8. Longitudinally-ex tending plates I52 connect the inner ends of the transversely-extending plates I54 together. Sawtoothed vehicle-engaging plates I56 will be riveted to the plates I48, I50, and I52, and the plates I56 will extend above the plates I48, I59, and I52.

The plates I48, I50, I52 and I54 form reticules which are complementary to the interconnected openings between cover plates IM and pads I28 and between the pads I28. reticules will pass neatly through those interconnected openings. The bar I42 will pass through slots H8.

As the superstructure of the lifting device moves upwardly, the bar I42 will engage the inner ends of the doors I40 and cause those doors to rotate around hinges I38. Those doers will then be held open by engagement with the sides of the piston, as by resting against the sides of that piston. When the superstructure moves downwardly the doors I50 will automatically close under the action of gravity when the superstructure moves out of engagement with them. With the exception of the doors Mil, there are no moving parts in the covering for the pit. This provides full and adequate protection at low cost and with no risk of jamming of the operating mechanism.

Whereas a preferred embodiment of the pres ent invention has been shown and described in c the drawing and accompanying description it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a lifting device that has a superstructure and that is adapted to be positioned in a pit in the floor of a building but is actuable to rise upwardly out of said pit and to extend above the level of that floor, a covering for said pit which comprises a cover plate, an opening in said plate, a slot contiguous with said opening, a frame that is secured to the underside of said plate and extends under said opening, and supporting pads supported by said frame, said supporting pads being disposed within said opening but being spacel from each other and from the edges of said opening to provide interconnected openings which can permit ready passage of one portion of the superstructure of said lifting device therethrough but which will resist passage therethrough of a mans foot, said supporting pads being substantially co-planar with said cover plate, said slot preventing the passage of a mans foot therethrough but permitting passage of an other portion of the superstructure of the lifting device therethrough, said one portion of said superstructure being a reticule complementary to the said interconnected openings between said pads and between said pads and the edges of said opening, said other portion of said superstructure of said lifting device being a transverselyextending bar.

2. In a lifting device that has a superstructure and that is adapted to be positioned in a pit in the floor of a building but is actuable to rise upwardly out of said pit and to extend above the level of that floor, a covering for said pit which comprises a cover plate, an opening in said plate, a frame that is secured to the underside of said plate and extends under said opening, and a supporting pad supported by said frame, said supporting pad being disposed within said opening but being spaced from the edges of said opening to provide interconnected openings As a result thosewhich can permit ready passage of the superstructure of said lifting device therethrough but which will resist passage therethrough of a mans foot, said supporting pad being substantially coplanar with said cover plate, the outer end of said plate overlying and being supported by the floor of said building and the inner end of said plate having a downwardly depending portion extending to the bottom of said pit and resting thereon.

3. In a lifting device that has a superstructure and that is adapted to be positioned in a pit in the floor of a building but is actuable to rise upwardly out of that pit and to extend above the level of that floor, a covering for said pit which comprises a cover plate, an opening in said plate, a frame that is secured to the underside of said plate and extends under said opening, a supporting pad supported by said frame, and a leg depending downwardly from said cover plate and resting on the bottom of said pit to support one portion of said cover plate, said supporting pad being spaced from the edges of said opening to provide interconnected openings small enough to prevent the passage of a mans foot therethrough but large enough to permit the passage of the superstructure of said lifting device therethrough, said supporting pad being substantially co-planar with said cover plate, said leg being spaced from the path of movement of said superstructure of said lifting device.

4. In a lifting device that has a superstructure and that is adapted to be positioned in a pit in the floor of a building but is actuable to rise upwardly out of that pit and to extend above the level of that floor, a covering for said pit which comprises a cover plate, an opening in said cover plate, a frame that is secured to the underside of said cover plate and extends under said opening, and a supporting pad supported by said frame, said supporting pad being disposed within said opening but being spaced from the edges of said opening to provide interconnected openings which can permit ready passage of one portion of the superstructure of said lifting device therethrough but which will resist passage therethrough of a mans foot, said supporting pad being substantially co-planar with said cover plate, said one portion of said superstructure being a reticule complementary to the said interconnected openings between said pad and the edges of said opening, said reticule including transversely-extending plates and longitudinallyextending plates.

5. In a lifting device that has a superstructure and that is adapted to be positioned in a pit in the floor of a building but is actuable to rise upwardly out of that pit and to extend above the level of that floor, a covering for said pit which comprises a cover plate, an opening in said plate, a frame that is secured to the underside of said plate and extends under said opening, and a supporting pad supported by said frame, said supporting pad being disposed within said opening but being spaced from the edges of said opening to provide interconnected openings which can permit ready passage of one portion of the superstructure of said lifting device therethrough but which will resist passage therethrough of a mans foot, said one portion of said superstructure being a reticule complementary to the said interconnected openings between said pad and the edges of said opening, said reticule including transversely-extending plates and longitudinally-extending plates, said frame having slots therein to receive said longitudinally-extending plates of said reticule.

6. In a lifting device that has a superstructure and that is adapted to be positioned in a pit in the floor of a building but is actuable to rise upwardly out of said pit and to extend above the level of that floor, a covering for said pit which comprises a cover plate, an opening in said cover plate, a slot contiguous with said opening, a frame that is secured to the underside of said cover plate and extends under said opening, and supporting pads supported by said frame, said supporting pads being disposed within said opening but being spaced from each other and from the edges of said opening to provide interconnected openings which can permit ready passage of one portion of the superstructure of said lifting device therethrough but which will resist passage therethrough of a mans foot, said slot preventing the passage of a mans foot therethrough but permitting passage of another portion of the superstructure of the lifting device therethrough, said one portion of said superstructure being a reticule complementary to the said interconnected openings between said pads and between said pads and the edges of said opening, said other portion of said superstructure of said lifting device being a transverselyextending bar, said frame having transverselyextending side plates to support said supporting an pads, the ends of said side plates being spaced apart to permit passage therebetween of said transversely-extending bar.

'I. In a lifting device that has a superstructure and that is adapted to be positioned in a pit in the floor of a building but is actuable to rise upwardly out of that pit and to extend above the level of that floor, a covering for said pit which comprises a cover plate, an opening in said plate, a frame that is secured to the underside of said plate and extends under said opening, and a supportin pad supported by said frame, said supporting pad being disposed within said opening but being spaced from the edges of said opening to provide interconnected openings which can permit ready passage of one portion of the superstructure of said lifting device therethrough but which will resist passage therethrough of a mans foot, said supportin pad being substantially coplanar with said cover plate, said one portion of said superstructure being a reticule complementary to said interconnected openings, said one portion of said superstructure have toothed surfaces at the top thereof to engage and hold the object to be lifted.

HARVARD K. HECKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,253,004 Winter Aug. 19, 1941 2,443,405 Thompson June 15, 1948 2,503,428 Weaver Apr. 11, 1950 

